Quinoa

For the album by Tangerine Dream, see Quinoa (album).

Quinoa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Chenopodium
Species:
C. quinoa
Binomial name
Chenopodium quinoa
Natural distribution in red, Cultivation in green
Synonyms[1]

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa; /ˈkiːn.wɑː, kiˈnoʊ.ə/,[2][3][4] from Quechua kinwa or kinuwa)[5] is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains.[6] Quinoa is not a grass but rather a pseudocereal botanically related to spinach and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), and originated in the Andean region of northwestern South America.[7] It was first used to feed livestock 5,200–7,000 years ago, and for human consumption 3,000–4,000 years ago in the Lake Titicaca basin of Peru and Bolivia.[8]

The plant thrives at high elevations and produces seeds that are rich in protein.[9] Almost all production in the Andean region is done by small farms and associations. Its cultivation has spread to more than 70 countries, including Kenya, India, the United States and European countries.[10] As a result of increased popularity and consumption in North America, Europe, and Australasia, quinoa crop prices tripled between 2006 and 2014.[11][12]

  1. ^ "The Plant List: A working list of all plant species". Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ^ "quinoa". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  3. ^ "quinoa". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  4. ^ "quinoa". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
  5. ^ Teofilo Laime Ajacopa (2007). Diccionario Bilingüe: Iskay simipi yuyayk’anch: Quechua – Castellano / Castellano – Quechua (PDF). La Paz, Bolivia: futatraw.ourproject.org.
  6. ^ Bojanic A (July 2011). Quinoa: An ancient crop to contribute to world food security (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization (Technical report). Rojas, Wilfredo (Coordinator), (PROINPA), Alandia, Gabriela, Irigoyen, Jimena, Blajos, Jorge (Technical team), Santivañez, Tania (FAO). Quito: FAO. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  7. ^ Fuentes FF, Martinez EA, Hinrichsen PV, et al. (1 April 2009). "Assessment of genetic diversity patterns in Chilean quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) germplasm using multiplex fluorescent microsatellite markers". Conservation Genetics. 10 (2): 369–377. Bibcode:2009ConG...10..369F. doi:10.1007/s10592-008-9604-3. hdl:10533/128026. ISSN 1572-9737. S2CID 39564604.
  8. ^ Kolata AL (2009). Quinoa: Production, Consumption and Social Value in Historical Context (PDF). Department of Anthropology (Report). The University of Chicago.
  9. ^ Leonard JN (1970). Recipes, Latin American cooking. Time-Life International (Nederlands). p. 21. ISBN 9780809400638.
  10. ^ "Distribution and production". Food and Agriculture Organization. United Nations. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Quinoa". Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. Grains & oilseeds. U.S. Department of Agriculture. November 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  12. ^ Blythman J (16 January 2013). "Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 17 January 2013.